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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27936149">Not a House, But a Home</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/artificialpippin/pseuds/artificialpippin'>artificialpippin</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>RuPaul's Drag Race RPF</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Domestic Fluff, F/F, Fluff, Lesbian AU, cis girl au</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 22:06:53</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,926</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27936149</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/artificialpippin/pseuds/artificialpippin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>This is what home feels like to Jackie. Scents of Christmas treats lingering in the air, candlelight, excessive amounts of glitter - and a girl who makes Jackie’s heart race with excitement, but also settle with comfort and familiarity.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jackie Cox/Jan Sport</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>31</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Not a House, But a Home</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>hi!! nothing overly elaborate, just some Christmassy, domestic fluff .. how on brand</p><p>come and say hi on tumblr @aqpippin x</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jackie sits on the couch in silence; lithe, stretched out, unwound. She basks in the warm golden glow of the fairy lights that have been meticulously placed by Jan, and she finds comfort in the scent of the gingerbread candle that has been burning practically non-stop since the first day of December. In all honesty, the festive atmosphere and the constant excitement in the air makes Jackie feel lethargic, so she’s more than happy to let Jan take the lead in decorating their apartment.</p><p>In the hallway, Jan is trying her hardest to balance a box of Christmas decorations in each hand, with little success. Despite her best efforts, she can’t help but let out a quiet ‘<i>fuck</i>’ as she drops a box.<br/>
“You know,” Jan mumbles as she kicks one box along the floor while still carrying the other in her arms, “I’m so glad I keep you around for moments like this. You’re being really helpful.” She glances over at Jackie, whose eyes are heavy with sleepiness as she works through the last of her emails on her laptop.<br/>
“You’re doing so well on your own,” Jackie hums, not even looking up as she continues to type quickly, “I only have a few left and I’ll come and help.” Jackie rolls her eyes when she hears Jan scoff, and she isn’t overly surprised when she feels a bauble hitting her square in the face. Jackie chuckles quietly, and closes her laptop dramatically before throwing the bauble back at Jan and pushing herself off the couch.<br/>
“You’re lucky I love you. What do you want me to do?” Jan smiles sweetly as she pulls Jackie into her arms and presses a chaste kiss against her lips.<br/>
“Boxes first please.”</p><p>With a heavy sigh, Jackie looks around at the giant mess that Jan has created in such a short amount of time, and she grins at the boxes of tacky decorations that have cluttered the floor, the couch, and now the dining table. It takes some time for Jackie to navigate the maze that Jan has inadvertently created - she breaks a bauble and nearly shatters a ceramic snowman in the process - but when she finally migrates from the hallway to where Jan is stood by the Christmas tree, she silently wraps her arms around Jan’s waist from behind and nuzzles her face into the crook of the blonde’s neck, inhaling deeply.<br/>
“You smell nice.” Jackie whispers as she presses her lips against the juncture of Jan’s neck and jaw. Jackie thinks Jan smells like a Christmas candle, notes of cinnamon and pine slightly muted by the soft sheen of sweat that has built up on Jan’s skin from running around the warm apartment.<br/>
“You’re okay,” Jan teases, turning herself around in Jackie’s embrace and resting her forehead against the Persian’s, “we have to keep going.” Even though Jackie can’t help but roll her eyes at Jan’s eagerness, she also knows that she is undoubtedly in love with the woman trying to decide whether this year’s aesthetic features gold or silver baubles. Jackie knows the answer, she knows it’s always gold, but watching Jan’s internal debate is still an inevitable element of Jackie’s Christmas routine. </p><p>Jan finally begins opening boxes of decorations, studying each one intensely. Stockings, tinsel and baubles soon cover the floor as Jan carefully considers her next move. Jackie, now more invested in the mission, begins to rifle through boxes in hunt of one ornament in particular. She smiles with glee when she finally finds what she’s searching for, pulling it out of the box and placing it front and centre on the tree.<br/>
“The first ornament has to be the most sentimental one.” She states matter-of-factly, looking at the cheap plastic bauble with a blissful grin. Jan beams at the sight of the clear orb, a picture of a <i>very</i> young Jackie and Jan inside, taken during their first Christmas together 4 years ago. She feels her heart well with pride as she watches Jackie secure its place, and smiles to herself before turning back to her boxes. </p><p>Before she met Jan, Jackie never really considered herself a Christmas person - but Jan brings out the festive woman inside her. With Jan by her side, Jackie loves Christmas - and she’s now the first to admit that she is fucking good at tree decorating. She always places baubles and lights and tinsel with strategy, always takes care not to break anything or to make the tree too crowded. They sing quietly as they work through the boxes, falling easily into their annual decorating routine - Jackie hangs ornaments and nestles tinsel among the branches of the tree, while Jan strings lights across the windows and decorates the hood of their mantle with wreaths and the matching stockings Jan’s mom made them a few years ago. Both Jan and Jackie become covered in glitter in no time at all, specks of gold getting caught in the wool of their sweaters - not that either one of them mind. </p><p>Jackie is placing the final touches on the tree when she hears the flash of Jan’s camera from behind her. She turns and watches as Jan shakes the fresh polaroid and smiles, and the brunette rolls her eyes while Jan whines about it being tradition. Jan skips towards Jackie with a wide grin on her face, and coaxes Jackie to match her smile so she can take a selfie (albeit poorly angled), once again in the name of tradition. They scrawl <i>2020</i> on the bottom in black Sharpie and thread red ribbon through the film so they can hang the new pictures among the ones of Christmas past. Jan clicks her tongue in satisfaction and kisses Jackie’s cheek before migrating back to the dining table, and Jackie just watches in awe.</p><p>Moments like these are among Jackie’s favourites. Peace and silence, when everything in the apartment is calm and still. She thinks there’s something special about being inside with Jan in their warm apartment, oblivious to the hustle and bustle of New York that continues on the streets below them. This is what home feels like to Jackie. Scents of Christmas treats lingering in the air, candlelight, excessive amounts of glitter - and a girl who makes Jackie’s heart race with excitement, but also settle with comfort and familiarity. Jackie stops decorating momentarily, and turns to watch Jan arrange different tchotchkes on varying surfaces across the living area. </p><p>“Do you think we’re done, baby?” Jan asks, speaking softly as she turns to face Jackie. Speaking loudly felt wrong - as if raising her tone would shatter the bubble of serenity they had spent the afternoon building. Jackie nods, looking around the room in awe.<br/>
“It looks beautiful, Jannie. We did good.” Fairy lights decorate the windows and doorways, tinsel hems the edges of their kitchen counter and fireplace, and the wreath Jan had hung on the front door tied it all together. If you discounted the empty boxes, loose glitter and pine needles - it was perfect.</p><p>“Is that everything?” Jackie asks, scanning the room to make sure they hadn’t missed a single detail. Jan gasps in shock, and Jackie flinches at the sudden burst of loudness.<br/>
“Not everything,” Jan hums, digging underneath old tinsel cutoffs in search of their final decoration, “where the <i>fuck</i> is it?” She knows exactly what she’s looking for, and yet she still cannot seem to find it. Jan liked to think she had this moment perfectly planned out - it should have been a gesture of romance, and now she could feel it slipping through her fingers.</p><p>Jackie, however, isn’t stupid. She knows exactly what Jan is looking for. She watches as Jan searches frantically, and she tries to stifle her laughter. When she decides that Jan has suffered enough, Jackie pulls Jan towards her and kisses her. It’s soft and slow - Jan melts into Jackie’s embrace, and she wraps her arms tightly around Jackie’s waist. There isn’t an ounce of rush or haste in either of their bodies - and when they finally pull apart, Jackie waves the small bunch of mistletoe in Jan’s face.</p><p>“Looking for this?” Jackie teases, rolling it between her fingers. Jan groans loudly before laughing.<br/>
“Trust you to ruin my romantic advances.” Jan rolls her eyes and pouts dramatically, and Jackie chuckles before pressing soft kisses along Jan’s jawline.<br/>
“Didn’t ruin <i>my</i> plans.” Jan brings their lips together once more, and she feels her heart flutter when she hears Jackie hum in pleasure.</p><p>Jackie and Jan alike find comfort in finally having unlimited pockets of peace in their days - in having moments of reassurance and time to themselves without having to schedule them. Their jobs had gotten more demanding in the lead up to the Christmas and New Year holidays, leaving them with less time to be the lazy, loved-up girlfriends they wanted to be. But now it was just them - they had time to breathe and take the days as they came. There were no words to explain how nice it was for them to be able to fall asleep without fatigue and stress, how good it felt to wake up whenever they wanted with a warm body wrapped around them. It felt good to be able to finally settle into their holiday routine. </p><p>“What do you want for Christmas this year? I haven’t done any shopping yet.” Jackie asks quietly when she pulls away from the kiss to take a breath.<br/>
“You,” Jan whispers, “just you is enough.”<br/>
“I’m serious,” Jackie can feel Jan’s lips reattaching to her neck, “what do you <i>really</i> want?”<br/>
“I am serious. I don’t <i>want</i> anything,” Jan presses her forehead against Jackie’s and taps the brunette’s nose with her finger, “I have everything I <i>need</i> right here. We should clean up.”</p><p>They look down at the floor, eyeing off the stray pine needles and broken strands of tinsel. Jackie knows it’s going to take at least an hour to clean everything and shove it back in the closet, and she sighs in defeat.<br/>
“Let’s just watch a movie.” Jackie muses, pulling Jan back towards the couch. They’re silent for a moment, Jackie’s eyes closed as Jan searches through Netflix until she finds what she’s looking for.<br/>
“Love Actually?”<br/>
“Obviously.”</p><p>Jan curls into Jackie’s arms as the opening credits start rolling, and they’re both extremely aware of the fact that neither of them are going to be awake when the movie ends. They struggle to pay attention to the television, rather watching as the sky grew darker and as snow continued to fall outside. Their eyelids are heavy and their bodies are warm - they’re tangled in each other’s arms, and there’s a large knitted blanket thrown over them. They are a happy mass of long limbs and slow, even breaths.</p><p>“I love you.” Jan says quietly as she starts to lose her battle against sleep.<br/>
“I love you too.” Jackie coos, voice groggy and teetering on the edge of consciousness. Her heart swells with pride and joy as she feels Jan finally fall asleep in her arms, and she is eventually lulled to sleep by Jan’s deep breaths.</p><p>Despite the candle eventually burning out, the room remains illuminated with the soft glow of fairy lights. They sleep peacefully in each other’s arms, no work requirements hanging over their heads, their home free from the stresses of the outside world. They know this peacefulness won’t last forever, but they’re too far gone to care.</p><p>Jan, as per usual, is right. They have everything they need in their <i>home</i>.</p>
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